The Atlanta Falcons did not air the ball out.
The Atlanta Falcons wrapped up their preseason schedule on Friday night with a trip to Miami to take on the Dolphins, and things ended on the right note with a 17-12 victory here two weeks before the games start to count.
In player's final chances to prove why they belong on the roster, there were some nice individual performances, but by far the most closely watched player was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. After failing to seize the starting job with Michael Penix Jr. working his way back to full health, Penix's clearance put the writing on the wall for Tagovailoa.
Given some of his struggled this summer, some folks even suspected he could be released if he played poorly in the final preseason game and Jack Strand could be given the backup job. While Tagovailoa did not necessarily struggle, he did not do anything to impress fans who were already dubious of his abilities.
Tua Has High Completion Percentage, Does Not Throw Ball Down Field
After fumbling another snap early and turning it over, Tagovailoa settled in to the tune of a 7-for-8 performance for 95 yards without a touchdown or interception. As has been the case for much of camp though, he did not attempt a single pass down field more than 10 yards through the air, and the offense once again looked extremely vanilla.
In 2026, an NFL offense cannot operate without pushing the ball down the field, and while this may have been the game plan for Tagovailoa on Friday night, he has not once looked this summer like someone capable of doing just that.
Ultimately, his efficiency is likely to keep him on the roster, but fans are not going to be confident or happy if he is actually named the Week 1 starter. It's clearer now more so than ever that he is a placeholder for a healthy Penix, but the staff has a decision to make on whether or not Penix has had enough runway to play from the start of the year.
In the meantime, Tagovailoa would make a decent backup, but it's safe to say he may not have much left in the tank as a starting quarterback in this league. Time will tell how Atlanta handles the situation between Tagovailoa and Penix, but it does not seem like they have a whole lot of choice if they want to deploy an effective offense this season.
